Friday, January 27, 2012

Fatima Hussain is an historian who specializes in the political history of Sufism. She is also an Indian Muslim married to a Pakistani. She talks to Sarah Sikander about the many lines she crosses and uncrosses in her life

In the withering heat of Lahore on a day like any other I found myself in a room that miraculously distracted my attention from the intense feeling of my back melting into its walls. History spoke through them and all the photographs, medals and souvenirs were collective images of nostalgia and tragedy for one could feel the Bhuttos pounding through them. From ZAB's iconic hand-on-the-chin portrait to Benazir's charisma to Nusrat Bhutto's beauty - two generations of Pakistan's first political family. And within these walls I was to meet an Indian, a patriotic Indian.

These walls, and the house by default, was Fakhar Zaman's, the revered Pakistani writer and the current chairperson of the Pakistan Academy of Letters. The purpose of my visit wasn't an interview with Zaman. I was there to meet his wife Fatima Hussain. I didn't have to wait long before she appeared, nervously apologizing for the intensified heat in the absence of electricity. Looking rather fresh for the smoldering temperature, Fatima was one of those rare people who instantly give you a sense of the remarkable conversation ahead.

Born and raised in New Delhi, Fatima graduated from Lady Shri Ram College in 1990 and went on to do Masters in Medieval Indian History. After completing an M Phil in 1994 on the relationship between the Sufi and the state, she completed her doctorate from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 2002. She is currently working as Associate Professor in the Department of History at University of Delhi.

Fatima's niche is Sufism in its historical and political context. She has authored *The War That Wasn't: The Sufi and the Sultan*, *The Palestine Question: A Historical Perspective* and *Sufism Revisited*.

Why Palestine and Sufism? Because: "My study of Sufism is very political."

She believes diverging into other arenas of historical research is two-fold, it broadens vision and gives you a perspective for your own research. "Reading into other areas is something my teachers always encouraged me to do, which consequently helped me string-up the two."

About the Sufi-State relationship she said: "Sufi is a panacea for the masses not allowing the state to use the religious sentiment as a tool to propel their own aim. In the context of the Sultanate of Delhi, the Sufis were acting as a safety vows. They were allowing the grudges of the masses, muting the voice of dissent. People think the Sultan was everything but it is not true. The Sufi tried to maintain a balance between the relationship between the state and the masses. This implicit support of the Sufi was obviously beneficial for the Sultan. When the situation arose, the Sufi himself became the voice of the people and rebuked the Sultan."

The Sufi, in a way, becomes a buffer zone. He criticizes the Sultan but without the unnecessary violence, a lesson Fatima feels could come in handy in the current socio-political environment.

Fatima feels it is nearly impossible to define a Sufi. "It is a multi-faceted state of mind. A Sufi, predominantly, is a renouncer. If you insist, there are two kinds of Sufis - Ba'shar Sufi and Beshar Sufi, someone who adheres to the Shariah and someone who doesn't."

The conversation veers towards Fatima's marriage to Fakhar Zaman. Despite being married to a Pakistani, Fatima doesn't live in Pakistan. "But I love Pakistan nonetheless."

Asked whether it was as fascinating as it looked on the surface, she replied the idea of an Indian married to a Pakistani wasn't "as fascinating as it sounds and there are many nitty gritties to be resolved."

Does it have anything to do with her being a Muslim in India? "No, I have been a Muslim all my life and I know how to meander my way through that."

"Pakistan is a bad word in India. And when people back home find nothing wrong with me personally they target me from that aspect."

In Old Delhi people aren't threatened by someone like Fatima, but moving around in the South and carrying a good opinion of Pakistan, she is perceived to be threatening because of her position as a teacher. "People are far more tolerant [towards India] in Pakistan."

For the record, Fatima feels the hatred also has a lot to do with personal vendetta rather than the traditional enmity between the two countries.

The conversation turns to the history that joins and disjoins the two countries. History is "never the moral", says Fatima, "because a historian in not a moralist. One should always question, what do I believe? Do I take for granted that this is the truth? Is this even the truth? Where is it coming from? If you question only then will you be able to authenticate."

Fatima sees no reconciliation between India and Pakistan in the near future.

"Propaganda is a very important tool. The fiasco which was orchestrated by the British was also successful because of the potent tool called propaganda which has assumed mammoth proportions. I don't see a solution to the problem in the near future. I might be thinking ahead of my time. National, democratic politics should be built on the notion of mobilizing the masses by political parties. For any party that wants to come into power, it has to convince people that the bourgeoisie's interest is their interest and for this they need propaganda. We are not able to think beyond politicians. We need to look beyond nationalist politics."

"I can present a hunky dory picture but I would be lying. I am at the core of the problem and I face it from both sides. The clerk looks at my bill and says 'Pakistan se bare naqli note a rahe hain.' This is an insult because he knows I am married to a Pakistani. We are also branded as Pakistani, at the time of Kargil they would say go back to Pakistan..."

Now that Fatima has a Pakistani husband, the defense has to be stronger. Her phones are tapped, she is chased by intelligence agencies and there are bugs in her house - all this is routine for her. Fatima plans to stand tall. "It is a psychological game."

Fatima is currently working on a coffee table book on Lahore. "Pakistan is always in the news for all the wrong reasons, so much so that all the positivity is disregarded. Lahore is the heart of Pakistan and embodies the spirit of Pakistan. In terms of food and landscaping, Lahore fascinates me".

Friday, January 27, 2012

Fatima Hussain is an historian who specializes in the political history of Sufism. She is also an Indian Muslim married to a Pakistani. She talks to Sarah Sikander about the many lines she crosses and uncrosses in her life

In the withering heat of Lahore on a day like any other I found myself in a room that miraculously distracted my attention from the intense feeling of my back melting into its walls. History spoke through them and all the photographs, medals and souvenirs were collective images of nostalgia and tragedy for one could feel the Bhuttos pounding through them. From ZAB's iconic hand-on-the-chin portrait to Benazir's charisma to Nusrat Bhutto's beauty - two generations of Pakistan's first political family. And within these walls I was to meet an Indian, a patriotic Indian.

These walls, and the house by default, was Fakhar Zaman's, the revered Pakistani writer and the current chairperson of the Pakistan Academy of Letters. The purpose of my visit wasn't an interview with Zaman. I was there to meet his wife Fatima Hussain. I didn't have to wait long before she appeared, nervously apologizing for the intensified heat in the absence of electricity. Looking rather fresh for the smoldering temperature, Fatima was one of those rare people who instantly give you a sense of the remarkable conversation ahead.

Born and raised in New Delhi, Fatima graduated from Lady Shri Ram College in 1990 and went on to do Masters in Medieval Indian History. After completing an M Phil in 1994 on the relationship between the Sufi and the state, she completed her doctorate from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 2002. She is currently working as Associate Professor in the Department of History at University of Delhi.

Fatima's niche is Sufism in its historical and political context. She has authored *The War That Wasn't: The Sufi and the Sultan*, *The Palestine Question: A Historical Perspective* and *Sufism Revisited*.

Why Palestine and Sufism? Because: "My study of Sufism is very political."

She believes diverging into other arenas of historical research is two-fold, it broadens vision and gives you a perspective for your own research. "Reading into other areas is something my teachers always encouraged me to do, which consequently helped me string-up the two."

About the Sufi-State relationship she said: "Sufi is a panacea for the masses not allowing the state to use the religious sentiment as a tool to propel their own aim. In the context of the Sultanate of Delhi, the Sufis were acting as a safety vows. They were allowing the grudges of the masses, muting the voice of dissent. People think the Sultan was everything but it is not true. The Sufi tried to maintain a balance between the relationship between the state and the masses. This implicit support of the Sufi was obviously beneficial for the Sultan. When the situation arose, the Sufi himself became the voice of the people and rebuked the Sultan."

The Sufi, in a way, becomes a buffer zone. He criticizes the Sultan but without the unnecessary violence, a lesson Fatima feels could come in handy in the current socio-political environment.

Fatima feels it is nearly impossible to define a Sufi. "It is a multi-faceted state of mind. A Sufi, predominantly, is a renouncer. If you insist, there are two kinds of Sufis - Ba'shar Sufi and Beshar Sufi, someone who adheres to the Shariah and someone who doesn't."

The conversation veers towards Fatima's marriage to Fakhar Zaman. Despite being married to a Pakistani, Fatima doesn't live in Pakistan. "But I love Pakistan nonetheless."

Asked whether it was as fascinating as it looked on the surface, she replied the idea of an Indian married to a Pakistani wasn't "as fascinating as it sounds and there are many nitty gritties to be resolved."

Does it have anything to do with her being a Muslim in India? "No, I have been a Muslim all my life and I know how to meander my way through that."

"Pakistan is a bad word in India. And when people back home find nothing wrong with me personally they target me from that aspect."

In Old Delhi people aren't threatened by someone like Fatima, but moving around in the South and carrying a good opinion of Pakistan, she is perceived to be threatening because of her position as a teacher. "People are far more tolerant [towards India] in Pakistan."

For the record, Fatima feels the hatred also has a lot to do with personal vendetta rather than the traditional enmity between the two countries.

The conversation turns to the history that joins and disjoins the two countries. History is "never the moral", says Fatima, "because a historian in not a moralist. One should always question, what do I believe? Do I take for granted that this is the truth? Is this even the truth? Where is it coming from? If you question only then will you be able to authenticate."

Fatima sees no reconciliation between India and Pakistan in the near future.

"Propaganda is a very important tool. The fiasco which was orchestrated by the British was also successful because of the potent tool called propaganda which has assumed mammoth proportions. I don't see a solution to the problem in the near future. I might be thinking ahead of my time. National, democratic politics should be built on the notion of mobilizing the masses by political parties. For any party that wants to come into power, it has to convince people that the bourgeoisie's interest is their interest and for this they need propaganda. We are not able to think beyond politicians. We need to look beyond nationalist politics."

"I can present a hunky dory picture but I would be lying. I am at the core of the problem and I face it from both sides. The clerk looks at my bill and says 'Pakistan se bare naqli note a rahe hain.' This is an insult because he knows I am married to a Pakistani. We are also branded as Pakistani, at the time of Kargil they would say go back to Pakistan..."

Now that Fatima has a Pakistani husband, the defense has to be stronger. Her phones are tapped, she is chased by intelligence agencies and there are bugs in her house - all this is routine for her. Fatima plans to stand tall. "It is a psychological game."

Fatima is currently working on a coffee table book on Lahore. "Pakistan is always in the news for all the wrong reasons, so much so that all the positivity is disregarded. Lahore is the heart of Pakistan and embodies the spirit of Pakistan. In terms of food and landscaping, Lahore fascinates me".

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